A rainy day in the SS household

So I have had a rough week due to my Xbox 360's disc laser not recognizing games anymore. Unfortunately, I do not fall into the 3-year warranty and I am not ready to wait until the new millennium to get it back.

Do I try to just replace the DVD drive - since I have some computer experience and I have nothing to lose - or do I just purchase a new HDMI system and hope to the gods that it doesn't red ring?

I had a whole rant ready for you guys about Microsoft but that argument has been around the block ... a lot. So I'm sad, so upset with the console and I guess I'll have to accept that I love wasting money on faulty products.

- R